Superintendent Degenfelder unveiled a bold agenda for the 2025 legislative session, focusing on protecting students and families, expanding school choice, pursuing academic excellence, and defending state lands, investments, and buildings.
These priorities reflect her role as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Land Commissioner, and State Loan and Investment Board member.
“Our future is under attack by extreme ideologies and federal overreach that have no place in Wyoming. This legislative agenda is about standing firm against this assault, protecting our families and resources, empowering parents, and ensuring every student is equipped to succeed with the values that make Wyoming strong,” the Superintendent said.
Protecting Students and Families
- Defending Fairness and Safety: Extend prohibition on biological men participating in women’s sports to the collegiate level. Limit school bathroom access to biological sex.
- Preserving Parental Rights: Require parental consent for school staff to address children by a name or gender different from one assigned at birth.
- Enhancing School Safety: Expand concealed carry in schools and improve security measures.
- Addressing Mental Health: Establish an external referral system for student mental health, ensuring students have access to the help they need.
- Combating Fentanyl: Strengthen penalties for fentanyl distribution to minors and possession of narcotics on school grounds.
- Shielding Children Online: Ban access to online pornography for minors.
- School Board Accountability: Allowing school board candidates to designate their political party when running for office.
Enhancing School Choice
- Expanding Opportunity: Eliminate the cap on state-authorized charter schools, streamline central administration funding and clarify facilities.
- Empowering Families: Remove the Governor’s income restrictions on education savings accounts.
- Reducing Bureaucracy: End unnecessary government oversight of homeschooling.
- Increasing Local Options: Allow for school choice within districts.
Pursuing Academic Excellence
- Foundational Learning: Enact comprehensive early literacy reforms to ensure our students read at grade level.
- Removing Distractions in Classrooms: Ban cellphones during instructional time.
- Preparing for Careers: Expand career and technical education opportunities.
- Protecting Academic Integrity: Eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion “DEI” practices from all public institutions.
- Innovative Practices: Launch blockchain partnership for competency-based learning and technology instruction
Defending State Lands, Investments, and Buildings
- Preserving State Sovereignty: Ensure no net increase of federal land in Wyoming.
- Supporting Agriculture: Protect the preferential right to renew agricultural leases.
- Protecting Leaseholders: Exempt state land lessees from property taxes.
- Defending Second Amendment Rights: Eliminate gun-free zones in the Capitol and state-owned office buildings.
- Promoting Energy Industry: Codify the State Loan and Investment Board’s updated Investment Policy Statement against Environmental and Social Governance “ESG.”
- Promoting Property Tax Relief While Maintaining School Funding: Lower property taxes and increase mineral revenue on federal land with President Trump’s Interior Department.
“This is Wyoming, and we don’t let outsiders or ideologues tell us how to raise our kids or manage our resources,” the Superintendent said. “Our agenda is clear: protect our families, defend our values, and ensure our schools stay focused on what matters most—educating the next generation.”
The 2025 8-week Wyoming Legislative General Session is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, January 14th.
